Friends of Myles Standish State Forest Meetup Group Pages

The Friends of Myles Standish State Forest was started in 2007 by a group of local Plymouth and Carver residents. It is a 501(c)3 charity organized to help preserve Myles Standish State Forest and to help make it a better place to visit.

Hiking is just one activity. Many members enjoy birding, bike riding, camping and the many other things that can be enjoyed in Myles Standish State Forest.

Members have set out and monitored nest boxes for bluebirds since 2010. Our group has helped to clear and maintain the trails in the forest. We hold an annual free fishing derby for families at Fearing Pond that drew more than 500 people this year. Some volunteers have planted native plant gardens in the forest.

We're about:

We hold volunteer-led group hikes and birding events at various locations in and around the vast Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth and Carver, Massachusetts. You can see that MSSF dwarfs all other parks in the area.

For most of the year, we try to schedule a hike on the first Sunday of the month. Other hikes are offered whenever the mood strikes. We have a regular group that goes out hiking on Thursday mornings after sharing a hearty breakfast. We also sponsor bird watching and other bird support activities when the birds allow. We are approaching our 700th Meetup since our founding in 2009. Clearly, we're having fun and hope you will join us.

Members of the Friends are also currently working on various stewardship projects such as:

Our annual free Family Fishing Derby in September, in cooperation with Mass Wildlife and the DCR and with the help of many local sponsors, drew more than 500 people this year.

Visit theFriends of Myles Standish web pageto find out more about these activities and please consider obtaining a membership, which is only $10, to support them. (Registering on the Meetup is free. Membership in the Friends is completely optional.)

This Meetup Group is sponsored by the Friends of Myles Standish State Forest (FMSSF). a volunteer group charity organization. We are private individuals who want to bring interesting and fun hikes, bird-watching programs and other events for all ages to Myles Standish State Forest, the largest state forest in eastern Massachusetts-- a park as big as many of the towns that surround it.

We often work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) on clearing trails and many other projects but this group is not sponsored by the DCR or the State of Massachusetts.

All ages are welcome on our hikes as long as parents/guardians are with any younger hikers. Friendly leashed dogs are welcome on most hikes. If you love hiking or birding you will discover that MSSF has some great places to explore. Where else in Massachusetts can you find vistas that make you think you are in the Southwestern U.S.?